Lucas had barely returned to his chambers when a palace attendant came to inform him that the Empress wanted to see him immediately, and judging from the seriousness in the attendant's voice, Lucas already knew that this was not going to be a casual conversation.
He followed the attendant through the palace corridors until they reached the private wing reserved for the Empress, where the guards opened the doors without question and allowed him inside.
The moment Lucas stepped through, he found the Empress waiting near the large windows overlooking the palace gardens, while Selene, Lira, Princess Nyx, Henrietta, and Ice Belle were already there, their attention immediately turning toward him.
None of them had forgotten what had happened in the arena, and none of them had forgotten the moment when his neck had been broken and his body had gone completely still.
